We report the first record of Megaselia scalaris (Loew) infesting laboratory stocks of the praying mantis (Parastagmatoptera tessellata, Saussure).M.scalaris, the scuttle fly, is a cosmopolitan species Blankets with a broad niche as it performs as detritivore, facultative parasite, and parasitoid.M.
scalaris larvae were found feeding inside adult mantids and, when development was completed, SUPER ANTI-OX pupae were found inside the abdominal cavity and around the body.We discuss the presence of colonies of crickets bred as prey for the mantids as a facilitator of M.scalaris infestation.